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2019-20 North American Winter
The 2019-20 North American Winter '''was one of the mildest winters in modern North American history in eastern North America, while it was one of the most severe winters in western North America. In the East, areas as far north as New York City did not receive any measurable snowfall, while in the West, coastal areas as far south as San Francisco recieved measurable snowfall. Drought conditions that had developed in the East persisted, while drought conditions quickly dissipated in the West as relentless storms pounded the region. Two unprecedented heat waves spread record-breaking heat across the East in early December and mid-March, and three cold waves spread record-breaking cold across the West in late December, mid-February, and early March. The East saw very few storms, and the ones that did impact the region mainly brought rain, with the only major snowfalls occurring further inland. Meanwhile, the West was pounded by major storms nearly every week. California and much of the American Southwest experienced torrential rain and major flooding, while the Sierra Nevada, the Rockies, the Olympics, and the Cascades were pounded by heavy snow, with the massive snowpack shattering the records set by the winter of 2016-17. In Alaska and northern Canada, unusually heavy snowfalls buried towns and made travel nearly impossible in many areas. Tropical downpours brought record rainfall to parts of Mexico, Florida, and Texas, causing major flooding, while snow fell in parts of the Sierra Madre mountains and even at some lower elevations. Seasonal forecasts On October 4, 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center issued its U.S. Winter Outlook. The presence of a weak La Niña was expected to influence winter conditions, with above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation forecast for much of the East, and below-average temperatures and above-average precipitation forecast for much of the West. Alaska was expected to have above-average temperatures and above-average precipitation, and Hawaii was expected to have below-average temperatures and below-average precipitation. Drought conditions in the East were expected to worsen, while the possibility of drought development and expansion in the West was noted. On November 10, 2019, Environment Canada issued a forecast for the months of December, January, and February. Above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation were forecast for much of southeastern Canada, while below-average temperatures and above-average temperatures were forecast for parts of southwestern Canada. Most of northern Canada was expected to have above-average temperatures and above-average precipitation. Drought conditions in the southeast were expected to worsen, while the possibility for drought development was noted in the southwest. Drought conditions in the north were expected to quickly dissipate with large amounts of precipitation. On November 16, 2019, Servicio Meteorológico Nacional issued its Mexican Winter Forecast. Below-average temperatures and above-average precipitation were forecast for much of northern Mexico, while above-average temperatures and above-average precipitation were forecast for most of central and southern Mexico. Drought conditions in the north were expected to dissipate, and the possibility for record rainfall was noted in parts of southern Mexico. Events '''Winter Storm Alyssa From October 29-November 1, a major storm system known as Winter Storm Alyssa dumped snow across much of the American Rockies and parts of the Upper Midwest, while rain fell in the Lower Midwest and Great Lakes. Snow totals reached up to 3 feet in some of the highest elevations of the Rockies, while widespread snow totals of 6 to 12 inches were reported across lower elevations of the Rockies and snow totals of up to 3 inches across the Upper Midwest. Alyssa was given the nickname "Frankensnow", as it brought snow to many areas on Halloween. Winter Storm Brian From November 12-16, a major storm system known as Winter Storm Brian dumped heavy snow across the Sierra Nevada, Olympics, Cascades, and Rockies, and heavy rain along the coast, causing flooding in some areas. Snow totals peaked at 4 feet in parts of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades, while rain totals peaked at 6 inches in parts of coastal California. Parts of the Desert Southwest experienced unusually heavy rainfall, causing flash flooding. Winter Storm Charlotte From November 23-27, a major storm system known as Winter Storm Charlotte dumped heavy snow in the Rockies and brought torrential downpours to the American Midwest, causing major flooding in some areas, while parts of the American Northeast experienced light rain showers and high winds. Snow totals peaked at 5 feet in the highest elevations of the Rockies, and rain totals peaked at 4 inches in parts of Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. In the American Midwest and Northeast, high winds caused some damage. December 2018 Eastern North American heat wave From December 4-9, an unprecedented winter heat wave spread record-breaking heat across much of eastern North America. Temperatures as far north as Portland, Maine reached 90°F (32°C), and parts of Atlantic Canada reached 27°C (80°F). In parts of the American Southeast, high temperatures reached 100°F (38°C). Many locations broke daily record highs and record-high lows, and some locations even broke monthly records. Winter Storm David From December 12-15, a major storm system known as Winter Storm David slammed the West, dumping heavy snow in the Pacific Northwest, California, the Rockies, and even parts of the Desert Southwest, where an unusual snow event blanketed the region in up to a foot of snow. Unusually large amounts of snow fell in cities like Seattle and Portland, and snow even fell in some of the lower elevations of California. Winter Storm Erica From December 22-26, a major storm system known as Winter Storm Erica dumped heavy snow across the American Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, southern Ontario, northern New England, southern Quebec, and parts of Atlantic Canada, and brought torrential downpours to the Lower Midwest and parts of the Northeast, causing flooding in some areas. Snow totals peaked at 5 feet in parts of the Rockies, while widespread amounts of 12-18 inches of snow fell in the Midwest and 6-12 inches in southern Ontario, the Great Lakes, northern New England, southern Ontario, and Atlantic Canada. December 2018 Western North American cold wave From December 23-30, an unprecedented cold wave spread record-breaking cold and heavy snow across much of western North America. Temperatures reached the freezing point as far south as Los Angeles, California, while temperatures in the Sierra Nevada plunged well below-freezing. The city of San Francisco recieved 0.1 inches of snow on December 25, the city's first measurable snowfall since 1989. Coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest plunged below 0°F (-18°C), and some inland areas dipped below -30°F (-34°C). Many locations set daily and monthly record lows and record-low highs, and some areas even set all-time records. Winter Storm Francis From December 24-27, a major storm system known as Winter Storm Francis slammed the West, dumping heavy snow in the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada, and the Rockies, and spreading measurable snow as far south as the city of San Francisco, which saw its first measurable snowfall since 1989. Even coastal cities like Seattle and Portland, not used to large amounts of snow, received over 2 feet of snow from Francis. Winter Storm Grace Category:Misteeer Category:Winter Category:2019 Category:2020 Category:Winter Storm Category:United States Category:Canada Category:Mexico Category:North America